Customer Reviews

Evgeny Kissin: Great Pianists of the 20th Century, Vol. 58

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Several years ago I began to hear rumblings filtering out of the old Soviet Union about a youthful pianist of unprecidented abilities. This last month I was fortunate enough to come into possession of this CD and then the others which Mr. Kissin has produced.

Being a new-age classical pianist composer as well as a member of the biology teaching faculty here at Amarillo College for the last 25 years this opportunity was one that I had looked forward to for the last several years.

To say the least I was left almost stammering looking for superlatives! I have heard many recordings made by those considered the finest pianists as well as having had first hand experience in hearing several of them in actual performance. All that I can truely say is that Evgeny Kissin may well be the closest thing to Franz List reborn as we are going to get in this life.

He plays from the heart and is not simply a techincal wizard as are so many of todays generation of pianists. Not saying that technical perfection is bad but simply that sometimes it gets in the way of artistic expression.

Also I have read the comments made by some reviewers relative to their opinions. Some are more than kind but others seem to be looking for excuses to criticize. To them I would simply say that when thay can produce music of this caliber then they have the right to such comments. Regardless of motives the evaluation of musical artistry should be left to performing artists.

I genuinely look forward to being able to hear Mr. Kissin in person and continue to be enthralled by his musical excellence. He also touches the hearts of the young generating in them a great interest in the classic. That is truely a gift for which society owes him a debt of gratitude.

I've known Kissin, not personally but as a pianist, from his debut in Tokyo. I owned a couple of his CDs which was always in my CD shelf. Knowing he is the "pianist" of our days, I still prefered to listen to those older generation, Richter, Rubinstein, Horowitz,etc. I bought this CD not because I was crazy about Kissin but because I had a gift certificate and wanted to buy something I don't usually buy. This was the beginning of my new exciting life!!!! As always, I bought a CD but didn't listen to it right away---because I wanted to keep listening to my favorite CD of that time. One day I decided it was about time to listen to it, so I put it in my CD player in my car. WOW!!! I've never heard Prokofiev #3 Concerto like that. I have Richer, Argerich and some Korean guy, I even went to Argerich's Concert at Carnegie a couple years ago which was great but not this great!!! He does so many things which is so original. I looked at the music while I listened to the CD. He does things which is not written on the page but make so much sense. Now I'm hooked with these recordings AND Mr.Kissin himself. I've been listening to Prokofiev CD every day for last few months and I love it more. Last month I went to his concert at Lincoln Center where he played Prokofiev Concerto #2 which was written while Prokofiev was still a student. It was great, I still like #3 though. Tomorrow I'm hoping to hear him play at Carnegie Hall. Liszt-Schubert Songs I absolutely LOVE. For this, I'm still trying to decide if I like Perriah better or Kissin. This is a great CDs to listen to and to get to know Kissin's true artistry. I hope Mr. Kissin will record complete Prokofiev Sonatas.

THIS CD IS ONE OF THE GREAT OF THE SERIE. Not because evgueni was a young pianist but he have a real sensibility of the difficult passages. I retire one star for not Chopin in this cd!!

THIS CD IS ONE OF THE GREAT OF THE SERIE. Not because evgueni was a young pianist but he have a real sensibility of the difficult passages. I retire one star for not Chopin in this cd!!